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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. net — after costs
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — for catching
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — decided
  12. snap — to click
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wax — to grow
  15. board — to get on
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pass — a permit
  19. board — a committee
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pop — soda
  22. net — in sport
  23. pop — music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com